QSA talk, Belinda Daly, ‘Warders, wives and children – The families of St Helena Penal Establishment’, 25 June 2026, 11am-12pm.
St Helena Island (known as Noogoon by the Quandamooka people) is only four kilometres from the mouth of the Brisbane River. The Penal Establishment operated as an all-male prison between 1867 and 1932. Known as “Queensland’s Inferno” the prison housed some of the country’s worst crimininals. However, women and children – the wives, siblings and children of prison staff – also lived on the island.
Belinda Daly’s research brings the lives of these women and children to light. Her talk will share details of the 47 families who lived as part of the warder’s community, and will explore the many obstacles they had to overcome establish their lives on the island.
Following Belinda’s presentation, QSA organises repository access for small groups of the audience to view a selection of records related to the presentation from 12-1pm.
